Q&A

Why is pet sitting so expensive? Many people are new to the pet sitting experience, and when they think of a pet sitter they may automatically compare us to baby-sitters or teenage house sitters. There is an enormous difference between professional pet sitters, and having friends and family watch your pet and home. We have heard minor to major horror stories of previous non-professional pet sitting experiences. We pride ourselves in offering comparable pet sitting rates in the Roanoke Valley. We provide specialized care of your pets in your home remaining meticulous to detail. We are reliable and look forward to learning the little differences that set your pet apart from the rest. What can I expect from a professional sitter? We use detailed notes to properly and consistently care for your pet and home in order to provide scheduled and reliable service. Do I need to meet with you before service? Yes, an initial FREE consultation is required before your first service can be provided. This consultation usually runs approximately 45 minutes, and will give us time to meet you and your pet and go through all the required paperwork as well as tour your home and schedule your service. We have an excellent track record of obtaining and retaining clients. You’ll want to meet with us to be sure we are a “good fit” for both you and your pet. Please have the following ready when we visit: 1. Your pet 2. Your pet’s rabies certificate 3. Your pet’s collar/harness or leash 4. A copy of the agreement (please e-mail us for this) 5. A copy of the information sheet (please e-mail us for this) 6. A copy of your house key 7. A smile! A picture of you and your pet will be taken for identity purposes How many times do you visit and what time? Our regular hours are from 7-9:30am and 6-8:30pm. Most people schedule one visit about every 4-8 hours. Please schedule us to come frequently enough that we will not be cleaning up any unnecessary accidents. If you do not, accidents may be charged extra. We find that many pets that are “accident prone” actually have fewer accidents once they realize that their pet sitter is coming on a schedule. It takes about 2 days for some pets to get into a “routine.” In the meantime, we cleanup any accidents. We understand that some pets will have accidents despite frequent scheduling. The extra fee does not apply to these pets. We will change the litter box every seven days if you have fresh litter. How long are the visits? The visits are approximately 30 minutes. We schedule plenty of time to serve meals and water, administer medications (if applicable), potty/scoop/cleanup time, play and cuddle time, adjustment of lights/TV/radio/curtains/blinds etc. for a “lived in” look, retrieval of mail and newspaper. What if my pet runs out of food, treats, or other pet supply needs? We will be happy to make a trip to buy any needed items. An additional visit fee will apply. Do I have to pay now? Yes, payment in full is required prior to service. Do you take credit cards or checks? No, unfortunately we don’t have any means of processing credit cards and have had bad experiences in receiving checks. Can I call and check on my pet? Absolutely! You are welcome to call at any time to add tasks, check up on your pet, and to verify upcoming service dates and times. We carry a cell phone, and return most calls as quickly as possible. Do you care for other animals besides dogs and cats? Yes. These requests are determined on a case-by-case basis. Is it ok if I have someone else also help pet sit besides Urban-Pet? No, we will not share the responsibility of pet sitting with anyone outside of our company. Many people like to include neighbors, relatives, and friends in the pet sitting duties. These well-intentioned actions cause much confusion during a shared responsibility assignment. Most common among problems is overfeeding, unlocked doors, lost keys, or missing some feedings altogether. We absolutely cannot be responsible for any sitting assignment where “others” are going to share the workload. We advise anyone considering this split of duties to make only one person or us responsible for the entire assignment. We also recommend that you do not allow other services or people into your home during vacations. Pets often sneak off to areas they should not be when others enter the house. All visitors should leave a note of their visit, and where the pets were last seen. All visitors should schedule visits in advance.